Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 36

Devanagari script

जलं विष्णुर्जलत्वेन विष्णुरेव रसो महान् । तस्माद्वृक्षगतो विष्णुश्चातुर्मास्येऽघनाशनः

Transliteration

jalaṃ viṣṇurjalatvena viṣṇureva raso mahān | tasmādvṛkṣagato viṣṇuścāturmāsye'ghanāśanaḥ

Translation

الماء هو فيشنو في هيئة الماء، وفيشنو نفسه هو الجوهر العظيم (رَسَ). لذلك، إذا حضر فيشنو في الشجرة صار مُبيدًا للذنوب، ولا سيّما في زمن تشاتورماسيا (Cāturmāsya).

Word by Word

• जलम्: water
• जलम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Samanadhikarana (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण (predicate nominative)

• जलत्वेन: as water / by water-nature
• जलत्वेन: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलत्व (प्रातिपदिक; -त्व भाव)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• एव: indeed/alone
• एव: Niyamaka (Emphasis/अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• रसः: essence/juice
• रसः: Samanadhikarana (Predicate/समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समानाधिकरण

• महान्: great
• महान्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of रसः)

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तस्मात्-इत्यव्ययप्रयोग (ablatival adverb: 'therefore/from that')

• वृक्षगतः: present in the tree
• वृक्षगतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृक्ष + गत (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('gone into/located in the tree'); विशेषण (of विष्णुः)

• विष्णुः: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• चातुर्मास्ये: in the Cāturmāsya period
• चातुर्मास्ये: Adhikarana (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्मास्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

• अघनाशनः: destroyer of sin
• अघनाशनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अघ + नाशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष ('destroyer of sin'); विशेषण (of विष्णुः)

Speaker

Skanda (deduced; not explicit in snippet)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Type: kshetra

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim at a tīrtha recognizes Viṣṇu in shimmering water; nearby an Aśvattha stands as a living shrine during the rainy-season vow (Cāturmāsya).

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Jala (water)
• Rasa
• Cāturmāsya
• Aśvattha (tree, implied)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

The chapter links devotion, ecology, and theology: recognizing Viṣṇu in water and in the tree makes Aśvattha-sevā a direct means of agha-nāśa (sin-destruction).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The living ‘tīrtha’ is the tree where Viṣṇu abides; the merit is heightened in the sacred season of Cāturmāsya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No new ritual is specified; it reinforces that Aśvattha worship/service in Cāturmāsya is especially efficacious for removing sin.